Everlasting
by Tenebres d'Eden
Summary: Hermione had always loved him: she had seen him through good times, bad times. But... she had done one thing to him... something that she will never forgive herself for... [Abandoned]
1. A Fatal Mistake

Rain slashed through the dirty, barely paved streets of the small, fragile town. The air smelled foul outside: like smelly, sweaty farm pigs and other simple farm animals. But inside, where she was, it was nothing but warm and a safe feeling washed over the building. She shivered: she deserved none of this: none of this comfort, none of this luxury... after what she did.

Tears swelled in her eyes as she remembered. She hugged herself tightly as she looked outside the window: the hard rain, dropping on the ground like small, yet powerful stones. She then forced herself to turn around to look around the room: the walls were pure, snow white. The floor was covered by a magnificent carpet, with dark velvety colors such as royal indigo blue and deep sea green. As she put her head up, she saw several small lamps brightening the room with its enchanting light. She didn't want to see anything else but... but she forced herself to turn to the direction of...

There he was...

In the center of the medium-sized room, there was a twin-sized bed, with pearl white sheets, covers and pillows. It was very much alike to hospital beds. She cringed at the thought: in fact, in one way or two, she was in a hospital. Technically, it was the nurse's home: although it could have become a hospital anyway. She sighed deeply. The sweet, gentle woman was ever so nice to let them stay in her house. She even wondered how a wonderful house, even a mansion considering the size, could be situated in this invisible, stinky town with no name.

She then returned her attention to the bed... and the victim in it. Tears rolled down her face as she glanced at him. His jet-black hair was as messy as usual, but his skin was paler, and he was lying motionless beneath the covers. The nurse had removed his glasses and had put them on the dresser, with a bouquet of fresh white roses for good health. After much hesitation, she managed to touch his scar underneath his cold, still hair.

_It almost feels metallic, _she thought sadly to herself. _So cold, so lifeless... _Her eyes locked with his unconscious, semi-closed ones. However, instead of that brilliant shining emerald green color she often saw in them when he was happy and excited, they were pure, dull gray, representing only death and beyond. She sobbed at that awful thought.

Suddenly, she looked away. She couldn't bare to think of the past, of why he was like this. She wished she could just go back in time and never... never let herself be influenced by those dark creatures that made her hurt him so badly... physically and emotionally. But she couldn't blame the shadows that barely existed: she could only blame herself.

She was selfish, mean and cruel... even evil maybe... to only think of herself and do that horrible thing to him. She tried to grasped every happy moment they had together... when none of this ever started...

" _Hermione, you were always useful and kind to me... for that, I appreciate our friendship!"_

" _Do you really mean those words?"_

_He just laughed: this pleasant, truthful laugh with plenty of life and happiness._

" _Do you think I'll ever lie to you, one of my best friends who knew me since... since the day I arrived here?" _

_She shook her head, feeling dumb to even doubt him. Of course he appreciates our friendship, she thought to herself. And I would never, ever doubt that he would lie..._

She was wrong though. She never knew how these thoughts ever came to her... but before long...

_Stop torturing yourself Hermione and get a grip! _She pondered harshly, trying to erase those awful times that followed. Every time those memories started to flash back into her mind, she kept reminding herself of the things he said before... before he ended up in this horrifying condition.

" _I just want you to be happy Hermione..."_

Abruptly, she started to shake violently. He was so brave, so courageous to... to sacrifice himself for her! And her... she deserved none of that! He shouldn't have done it to such a repulsive girl who was a despicable excuse for a witch! A human being even! She had lied to him... and to herself!

She remembered the day when they both swore to each other that, no matter what, they would always be side-by-side, trusting each other with their life! Of course, he never broke his word but... her...

" I did! I broke my word and his heart!" she cried furiously to herself.

She once again looked at his expressionless face. How did he feel, those last few minutes before his eyes lost its glimmer? How did it feel to tell the girl who had destroyed your spirit that you only wished for her to be happy? He was nice, caring, always happy and encouraging. He had trusted her with everything: his life, his soul and... His heart. And she had destroyed all of three of them! Now... She couldn't bare to say it but she did.

" Now, his life is gone, his soul is forever lost and his heart is broken," she told herself, frowning deeply, " And all because of a Miss Hermione Granger!"

There was a time after this when she just wanted to die. To join him in the underworld and to apologize. Maybe she had thought of suicide, but the nurse had convinced her that he wouldn't be happy if she did that. She sighed once again. She turned to look at the picture-perfect white roses. She touched one of the roses' petals and said:

" Please make sure he will be all right: it isn't his time to die..." she murmured. " Oh please, God... if you can hear me... don't take him... take me if you have to!"

She never really believed in the Bible, but now... she didn't know what to believe in. She bit her lips as she gazed at him again, before taking one of his pale, cold, lifeless hands and whispering sadly:

" I'm so sorry..."


	2. How It Started

" I'm sorry, Harry..."

He didn't move the slightest bit, not even when one of Hermione's tears streaked down and landed on his pale, cold and death-like face. She just shook her head miserably as she let his lifeless hand slip out of her small grasp.

_All my fault, all my fault... _she kept repeating those awful words to herself. The slashing, harsh rain could even be heard inside, but Hermione completely ignored the brutal noise. However, she couldn't help but remember when...

" _Rain, rain, just go away..." she sang weakly._

_She looked up into the gray, mucky sky as the raindrops mercilessly hit her skin. She shivered: it was so cold outside today! You could barely realize that it was the end of April! _

" _Crookshanks, come back!" she cried once again._

_No answer. Not even a faint meow or a tiny crack of a branch. ' Please Crookshanks, be okay...' Hermione prayed for her cat. But she couldn't help but worry for herself, too. ' I can't stay out here for long but...' She suddenly started to cough violently. She tried to stop but it was useless... She dropped to the floor and hugged herself tightly as she continued to cough brutally. Tears swelled in her eyes, or was it the rain? She didn't care a bit... no one expected her here..._

_She had lied to Harry and Ron that she was going to the library: she knew that if she told them that she would go outside in this kind of weather to find Crookshanks, they would absolutely refuse to let her get out of the castle. Her lips twitched a little, forming a little, barely recognizable grin on her face. At least she knew they cared for her..._

_Suddenly, the rain stopped slashing into her skin. She blinked: did the rain stop already? 'No,' she replied to herself as she saw that the rain was still out there, attacking the earth with all its force... But why wasn't it hitting against her? Slowly, she looked up and gasped..._

_He was smiling gently at her, with a huge sky-blue umbrella covering both of them from the wrath of the weather._

" _H-...harr-... Harry?" Hermione asked faintly._

_His grin widened, but then it got wiped out almost instantly when it was replaced by a rather, deep stern look. It reminded the girl of Professor McGonagall; she suddenly laughed at the thought. She _was _usually the one with that look!_

" _I don't know why you're out here in this kind of weather, Hermione," the boy suddenly spoke up. " But most of all, I don't know why you even thought about lying to both Ron and me!"_

_She shivered one more time, but she still kept that small, but relieved smile on her visage._

" _Crookshanks got lost and I couldn't leave him in this kind of weather," she answered weakly._

" _Hum..."_

_In an abrupt motion, Hermione realized that Harry had company: a small blur of an unmistakably ginger color was hiding behind the boy's legs. Suddenly, a soft, shy meow could be heard._

" _Crookshanks?" Hermione questioned._

_As if on cue, the cat darted towards her mistress and began rubbing himself against her wet body._

" _Nasty cat came to me as soon as I came out to look for you," Harry told her, as if reading her confused mind. _

" _Oh..." she started petting her pet, before bursting into giggles._

" _What's wrong?" he frowned slightly._

" _How did you know that I wasn't in the library?" the girl asked._

" _Well, there is the fact that Crookshanks wasn't in our common room when Ron and me were playing chess, and... I looked for you in the library and you were nowhere to be found... so the conclusion came to here..."_

_She nodded, just as he reached his hand to her._

" _C'mon, get up; you don't want to get a cold, do you?" Harry laughed._

_Hermione shook her head and grabbed his hand gently as she struggled herself on her feet._

" _Thanks, Harry... For coming after me..." she whispered to him._

_He gave her a comforting smile and shook her head._

" _That's what friends are for..."_

" That's what friends are for..." Hermione repeated those words quietly, afraid to burst into tears if she said it more loudly.

Unexpectedly, a knock could be heard from the door.

" Come in," she said, knowing whom to expect.

The door slowly creaked open, and a young woman in her early thirties came in. She was dressed in a long, black flowing robe and she also wore a black headdress bordered with white.

" Hermione," she said in a tiny whisper, gradually walking towards the saddened girl.

Hermione said nothing at all, but merely nodded at the figure. The woman realized that the girl was sitting on the bed, next to the silent victim. She sighed as she sat beside her. After a few moments, the girl looked up and murmured:

" Nurse Mary-Rose..." she wanted to ask a question, but she couldn't finish it.

" What is it, child?" the nurse asked gently.

Hermione shook her head vigorously, but the woman already knew what she wanted to ask.

" You want to know if he's going to be all right, am I correct Hermione?"

After spotting the older child's small, but unmistakable nod, she continued:

" Seriously, I don't know, but..." her gaze darkened. " It's really going to be a miracle if he'll ever wake up from his... sleep."

The girl just dropped her head down in disappointment.

" Come on Hermione, don't give up hope," Nurse Mary-Rose caressed the girl's cheek as she lifted Hermione's head up.

" Why shouldn't I?" she questioned sullenly.

The lady could see that she was fighting with all her might so she wouldn't already burst into tears.

" Are you sure you don't want to tell me about it?" the nurse asked nicely.

Hermione shook her head. It was just all too painful... She remembered her last adventures with him, two months before...

* * *

The school's huge library was eerily quiet, although it was still in the middle of day. Most of the people would seem uncomfortable with this heavy silence, but Hermione enjoyed it. No silly chatting, or non-stop giggling. She sighed happily as she buried her head into one of her favorite books: _Hogwarts: A History. _Harry and Ron were both outside: Harry was, as usual, having his Quidditch practice and Ron decided to tag along and watch. The orange-haired boy had tried to persuade Hermione to come along, but she refused: sometimes, going into the open air and watching Harry practice the same boring moves all over again was simply... not so exciting. Harry seemed very much disappointed when she refused, and with one glance at his face, the girl reconsidered going outside. But then he shook his head and reassured her that it was just fine, whether she went or not.

She was used to be lonely, especially in the first few months of her first year at Hogwarts. She sighed: she didn't know where she would be if she never made friends with Harry and Ron... She was just about to turn the page when the doors slammed open with a brutal, violent noise that maybe can have been heard from another classroom! Madam Pince, the librarian, immediately marched towards the culprit, ready to scold her/him.

_Just the normal stupid wizard punk that loves rule-breaking... _Hermione thought as she listened to Madam Pince's yells with indifference. However, she was eventually curious on who the librarian was shouting at and decided to sneak a glance at the culprit. But as soon as she realized who it was, her jaws dropped.

He was listening to the Madam's screeches with semi-closed eyes, bored of course. He fought the urge of yawning directly towards the librarian's face. He knew that he really didn't want to make her madder: she was already fuming!

" Mr. Potter! I'm disappointed at you: I thought you knew the rules of the library!" Madam Pince scolded the teenage boy one last time.

" I'm sorry, Madam... I promise, this is the first and last time I'll ever slam the heavy doors of the library again," Harry vowed innocently.

The librarian glared at him, and for a nanosecond or two, the boy thought that she was going to throw a fit again. Luckily, the woman only threw her hands into the air in exasperation, before marching off, muttering:

" Children... no, teenagers! They have no respect for elders as they grow up!"

She was practically fuming by the time she got to her desk. The boy stared at the librarian until he was sure she wouldn't hear him, and then he yawned. Just then, his gaze went over to Hermione, who was the only one sitting on a medium-sized table, reading a book. He smiled in relief at her.

Hermione was surprised when the boy abruptly noticed, and her heart fluttered when he smiled at her. Harry was about to walk to her table when both heard muffled laughter just outside the doors of the library.

" Really..." Madam Pince mumbled angrily under her breath but nobody really heard her.

" What's that?" Hermione asked worriedly to Harry.

" Rather... _who's that?" _he replied, suddenly grumpy.

The girl was absolutely confused until the mysterious person entered the library. The first noticeable feature of the wizard was his hair, which was bright orange. Then his freckles and his laughing face.

" Really, Ron... that's enough!" Harry hissed softly but furiously at his best friend.

" What's going on?" Hermione asked, now more confused than ever.

Ron walked towards their table, with a comic grin on his face. When he sat down on a chair across Hermione, he burst out laughing again.

" SSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHH!" the librarian marched towards the second boy, with an angry expression on her face. " Be quiet: it's a library!"

" Yes, Madam Pince," Ron whispered, so silent it was believed that Madam Pince _was _the one yelling and making noise.

The librarian marched off again without another word.

" Okay now, what's so funny Ron?" Hermione murmured.

" It's nothing really..." Harry muttered, trying to cover it.

" Nothing: HA!" the other boy retorted back. " You should have seen his face when he saw her with...?"

But he was violently cut off when Harry cast a mouth-zipping spell on him.

" Hmmphrff!" Ron managed to muffle as he struggled to unzip his mouth.

" It can't be that bad, can it?" Hermione asked, frowning. Then she performed the counter spell. " _Parles Libertos!"_

Ron's mouth immediately unzipped itself.

" Thanks Hermione," he breathed a sigh of relief before glaring at the one who shut him up in the first place. " When I'm done talking about what just happened, I'm going to strangle you good, Harry!"

Harry said nothing for a moment, and then he replied instead:

" Fine, you can tell her, but just let me start, okay?"

Ron grumbled a few words, but shrugged and nodded. Harry drew a chair and sat beside Ron.

" It's over..." he murmured.

Ron burst out laughing right after he said that.

" It never even started!" he managed to respond after several fits.

" It's gone..."

For once, Ron stopped laughing.

" Really... _all_ of it?"

" Yes... all of it," Harry answered firmly.

Hermione was starting to get confused... and annoyed.

" _What are you guys talking about?" _she snapped.

" Okay, okay," Ron took a deep breath. " You know that Harry had a crush on Cho since our third year's Quidditch match, right?"

" Euh... right," Hermione replied, not knowing what next to expect.

" And you know that you-know-who came back to power in the end of fourth year..." it was not a question, and for once, Ron was totally silent as his face grew dark. " He murdered Cedric when he _unexpectedly _fetched Harry... And in the end-of-year feast, Cho was crying for him, right?"

" Yeah... but Ron, you shouldn't meddle in other people's personal affairs!" Hermione scolded her freckled friend gently.

" Fine, it's wrong!" Ron shook his head in disbelief. " Anyway, in the end of March, Harry admitted his _feelings _for her..."

" _He did what!" _Hermione suddenly screeched. " I never knew that!"

She looked away and saw Madam Pince, glaring at her with intense fire.

" I thought she knew better..." Hermione could hear the woman sigh.

" Yes..." Ron drawled quietly. " But Cho said that she couldn't just forget Cedric so easily... she told him that she couldn't just get somebody else to replace him so early..."

" Urgh," Harry winced at the memory.

" Yeah, and it was such an embarrassment for our little hero here who could have faced ten basilisks, but who just couldn't face a simple mere girl that he decided to not to tell anyone."

" But how come he told _you?" _Hermione asked, a little angry and hurt.

" I didn't..." Harry answered before Ron could. " He threatened me, tortured me, and in the end, he tricked me into telling this to him."

" Oh..." Hermione burst into giggles silently.

Ron smirked while Harry buried his head into his arms in frustration.

" Anyway..." Ron returned to the subject. " Just today, when Harry's Quidditch practice was almost over, we both saw Cho flirting with another boy!"

" How do you know that you just got the whole picture wrong?" Hermione asked skeptically.

She knew that sometimes, Ron could jump to conclusions so easily.

" Because!" he urged. " We could practically hear her! And she asked him out!"

" She did?" she asked, incredulous.

" She did..." both boys replied to her back.

" This was how it went..." Ron suddenly imitated Cho. " 'So Eric... do you want to check out this great bar at Hogsmeade together on our next field trip?' 'Sure Cho, I have nothing else to do...'"

Ron changed back to his normal voice.

" Hypocrite... that's what she is..." he concluded. " She fell for a sixth-year boy in Hufflepuff."

Hermione was startled. Sure, she didn't know Cho, but she would have thought that she knew better than to...

" Her friends even told me..." Harry mumbled grouchily. He mimicked them. " 'So Potter... I guess you'll never get the girl of your dreams... Cho already found someone better and she had long forgotten about Cedric!'... Urgh..."

" Hey, you don't need her..." Ron was about to pat his friend's back when Harry withdrew.

" Don't worry Ron, I don't need your consideration for me," he said. " Not that I'm being sarcastic or anything..." he added quickly to not to hurt his friend's feelings. " I'm just saying... it's over. My feelings for her are gone now."

" Are you sure?" Hermione asked. " I mean, just because you're upset with her because she never meant her word, doesn't mean you didn't get over the event yet..."

She stopped when Harry gave her a strange look. She shivered: she didn't know what it meant. Was he angry, frustrated, sad...? She thought she knew every look he gave her. A happy look, an angry expression... but that gaze seemed so strange, new... mysterious...

" I know Hermione, it's all gone now..." he then whispered calmly.

" Hey! Now I can tell Ginny that she has a chance with you!" Ron perked up cheerfully, hoping to change the subject.

However, Harry only shook his head.

" Ron, I really don't think I'm ready to... experience these 'things' now... I just need space on these subjects..."

" Are you sure?" Ron asked, surprised.

" Yes," he answered firmly. " I mean, this is all so complicated and who knows? Relationships can break before it even got started! And it can also affect our friendship..."

" It can?" Hermione and Ron both cried.

Harry nodded. Hermione wanted to ask a special question, but she decided against it.

" I don't need her," Harry repeated in a whisper before he got up and declared out loud: " I need to go back to our common room!"

" Why?" both his friends asked.

" _Do you know what I'm dressed in?" _Harry asked.

Hermione looked at his clothing and quickly got it: he was still wearing his Quidditch robes! All three of them burst into silent giggles. When it died down, Harry continued:

" Seriously, I need to go..."

" I'll come with you!" Ron said suddenly. " I mean, I just remembered: I have a Defense Against the Dark Arts homework due tomorrow!"

Hermione gave him a stern look that read: " You should have thought about your homework first before going to Harry's Quidditch Practice". Harry noticed that too and chuckled to himself meekly before saying:

" Don't worry Hermione, I did _all _my homework... I think..." he trailed off under her stern gaze.

" I have to go now: see you later, okay Hermione?" Harry then waved briefly at her before running out of the library with Ron.

As soon as both boys were gone, Hermione sighed. _Now that his feelings for Cho is gone... _Can she really have a chance for him? He didn't know her feelings for him, unlike in Ginny's case, and it could be so sudden... too sudden even.

She shook her head. She probably should at least _try..._

_Can I really make him realize my feelings for him? Do I even have chance...?_


	3. Malfoy's Warning

" I know it hurts, Hermione: but it'll feel much better if you just tell me what happened with you and Harry..."

" I... I just don't feel like telling anyone yet, sorry Nurse Mary-Rose."

The woman sighed, but shook her head: she knew what pain the girl was going through. Just by watching Hermione staring at the window with indifference, she knew she was right.

_She's in a lot of pain now... _she said to herself. _Lots of emotions swirling in her mind... I should just leave her alone: the ferocious storm inside her soul will calm down eventually... I hope._

She knew that the nurse was gazing at her, studying her to see any emotions behind the expressionless look on her face, but she didn't care. She was still daydreaming: thinking of the two happy months spent together with her best friends before...

* * *

Soon after Harry and Ron left for Gryffindor's common room, Hermione finished reading her book: _Hogwarts: A History. _She hastily closed the book and left the library. When she did so, she could have sworn she heard Madam Pince sigh of relief behind her back.

_All well... _she thought. _I guess I can't blame her; we _were _quite noisy there ._

She quickly made her way to the Gryffindor Tower, and in less than a minute, the girl stood face-to-face with the Fat Lady.

" Password?" the guardian inside the portrait asked.

" Euh... how did it go again?" Hermione questioned her, frowning. Then she remembered: " Yuleweshka."

The Fat Lady nodded shortly and was about to unblock the entrance when Hermione stopped her by asking:

" Why do we have those horrifyingly hard passwords this year?"

The Fat Lady gave her a strange look and replied:

" Well, isn't it obvious? Since the revival of you-know-who, Dumbledore thought that taking much more direct precautions were necessary."

" Oh," Hermione winced a little, because those stupid words as passwords reminded her of the time in her third year, when Sir Cadogan had to replace the Fat Lady as the guardian of the tower...

" _Password?" Sir Cadogan asked rudely as he saw the three pupils approaching him._

" _Euh... what was it again?" Ron asked, a little forgetful._

" _Ron! If you forget the passwords too often, you might end up sleeping in front of entrance of the common room like Neville in our first year!" Hermione scolded him severely._

_The orange-haired boy scowled deeply and sighed._

" _Hermione! How can anyone remember those dreadful passwords of that... stupid knight?" he asked, dubious._

" _Hey! I heard that, you moron!" Sir Cadogan roared, trying to look as fierce as he can, but instead, he looked half angry and half comical._

_Harry stifled a laughter and nudged Ron to make him notice that fact, too. When he did, both boys smirked deviously at the knight who, totally confused, stuck his tongue out. Hermione just rolled her eyes slightly before reciting the password:_

" _Quiffleyuck."_

" _WRONG!" Sir Cadogan replied loudly, triumphant._

" _What?" the girl nearly screeched, but she forced herself to remain calm. " How could it not be? I remember you saying the exact thing this morning!"_

" _Then you certainly need to fix those defective ears of yours!" the knight roared with laughter._

_Ron started to laugh too when Hermione glared ferociously at him. Seeing her inflaming gaze, he rapidly quieted down._

" _It's quaffleyuck," Harry, who hadn't spoken for a while, suddenly answered._

" _Yes it is, lad," Sir Cadogan sighed, visibly disappointed as he swayed his portrait to reveal the entrance._

_But Hermione was still outraged._

" _Quaiffleyuck?" she yelled, unable to control her anger (luckily, no one except Harry & Ron were near to hear her comport in such an unexpected manner). " What's the difference? It sounds exactly the same!"_

" _There is a rather big difference, young lady!" the knight answered, indignant. " What if Sirius Black comes near here, huh? Who would defend you poor children? Me, of course!"_

" _Me, of course," Ron smirked, mimicking Sir Cadogan. "Yeah, right..."_

" _Ron's absolutely right!" Hermione suddenly declared._

" _I am?" Ron asked, bewildered._

" _He is?" Harry questioned, confused._

" _Euh... yes," the girl answered. " You know why? Because a stupid knight like you can't protect us students from the clutches of Sirius Black!"_

_Sir Cadogan stared at the girl with a furious look on his visage. Both boys near her gave her a strange, surprised look._

" _Why I outta-...!" Sir Cadogan yelled, but before he could do anything else, Harry pushed both Ron and Hermione into the common room._

" _Hey, I'm not finished with you!" the knight protested, but it was too late: all three wizards had already entered the common room and out of hearing and sight._

" _I hate kids," Sir Cadogan muttered._

" Remembering the time when Sir what's-his-name had to replace me?" the Fat Lady gently cut Hermione's thoughts away.

" Euh... yes I was," the girl answered, slightly perplexed at how the lady could have guessed her thoughts.

" Well, I never liked that knight either," the Fat Lady mumbled. " He even tried to interrupt when Violet and me were discussing with each other: rude little knight he was, that Cadogan!"

Hermione just nodded slowly, before going inside the common room. Once there, she slightly creased her eyebrows into a frown.

_Where are they? _She asked, a little confused. By "they", she meant Harry & Ron. She would have thought that, by now, Harry would have changed into his regular robes and he and Ron would be playing chess by the time she entered the room.

" You wondering why Harry and my brother aren't here?" a voice questioned her quietly.

Surprised by the sudden sound, Hermione turned to face Ginny, who was sitting on one of the chairs near the now lifeless fireplace.

" Yes..." Hermione gradually answered. " Why?"

" Just to tell you, Ron and Harry left a while ago," the young freckled-faced girl answered.

" Why?"

Ginny shrugged.

" To be honest, I have no idea. But I do know one thing: they left the common room because something happened..."

" What happened?" Hermione questioned.

" I don't know... but both Harry and Ron seemed really furious when Neville rushed in to tell them."

" Hum... it can't be that bad, can it?"

Just as she finished the sentence, Ron stomped in: he looked so angry that Hermione could practically see smoke coming out of his ears.

" WHO IN THE HECK DOES HE THINK HE IS!" the freckled-face boy roared before Hermione and Ginny had the time to guess.

" _What are you talking about, Ron?" _Ginny then asked, very irritated at his brutal arrival.

Ron sighed and collapsed on a squashy chair near the fire, still with the same furious, unbelieving expression on his face. Hermione was about to ask where was the other boy when Harry entered the common room: he wasn't as agitated as Ron, but by the look of his completely enraged face, both girls knew he was as mad as his other best friend.

" Can somebody please explain why both of you are so fuming mad?" Ginny questioned, her arms crossed.

Ron seemed to totally ignore her younger sister as he turned his head towards Harry and muttered:

" He wasn't serious, was he?"

" Nah," Harry replied, shaking his head. " I mean, he threatened us many times since we arrived at Hogwarts, and nothing really bad happened, right?"

However, even with his friend's reassurance, Ron was still a little anxious. Neither of the boys acknowledged the girls' presence until Ginny tapped her foot and coughed to get their attention.

" What?" Ron questioned, frowning.

" Did you forget that we're in this room too: wondering what in the heck you guys are talking about... Hermione and I?" Ginny snapped, now almost as livid as Ron was.

" Euh... yes," her older brother admitted.

" What were you talking about anyway?" Hermione joined in.

" Don't worry: it's nothing..." Harry managed to muster, but it still didn't clear the curiosity showing on the two girls' faces.

" Just explain it to us anyway," Hermione persisted.

Harry sneaked a glance at Ron, who shrugged, and then sighed.

" Well... first, the reason we left the common room is because Neville ran to us, saying that something big was happening in one of the halls," Harry explained. " Then we realized the reason we were dragged down there is because Fred and George were having a major fight with Malfoy and his gang..." he sighed, frustrated.

" Yeah... anyway, Malfoy and the rest of his Quidditch team were really angry because they were supposed to have the field for practice today, but we showed up first!" Ron continued for Harry: while he was saying the last words, he smiled triumphantly.

" They were lying..." Harry muttered. " They just wanted to steal the field so we couldn't practice for the big game coming up in less than a week..."

" Yes... and?" Ginny urged them to continue.

" Malfoy was fuming when he learned that _they _couldn't practice today, so he threatened us," Ron said, yawning.

" How?" Hermione asked, frowning.

" Like this," Ron then mimicked Malfoy. " _Potter & Weasly, you ARE going to pay: mark my words, you WILL pay!"_

Ginny and Hermione laughed a little, but Harry interrupted:

" But that wasn't his _exact _words..." he said. " This is what he really said: _'Trust me on this, Potter... Weasly... when the game comes up, your team will forfeit. You can practice all you like, but in the end, Slytherin will win, one way or another!'_"

" Doesn't that mean the same thing?" Ron objected, and Ginny nodded in agreement.

" Maybe..." Harry shrugged, but then he frowned. " But... something in his face made me think that he really meant it..."

" 'Course not!" Ron insisted, but he still appeared a little worried. " I mean, how can he do that anyway?"

But even after that conversation, Hermione knew that Malfoy _could _actually do something to make their team lose, and she was also sure that he'll stop at nothing to do so too... She also couldn't help notice that Harry was worried too: he wanted to win... _badly. _Even though she wasn't interested in Quidditch so much, she wanted their team to win nonetheless. When all three of them were eating dinner in the Great Hall, Harry had his eyebrows creased into a worried expression, and he wasn't paying too much attention to his food. Ron, however, seemed to have forgotten already about it...

_I'm not sure, but maybe he should be as worried as Harry... _Hermione thought. _I mean, he's in the team, now that he's Gryffindor's new keeper... _Ron was doing fairly well in that particular position, but when she compared him with Wood, she had to admit: Ron could do much better. _All well, he just needs more practice . _She thought.

" Hermione... HERMIONE!"

" Huh?" The girl snapped out of her thoughts, confused.

She looked around to find who was calling her name, and realized it was Ron.

" Okay, now that I have your attention..." he drawled. " Can I ask you a favor?"

" What kind of favor?" Hermione asked, suddenly suspicious.

" Oh nothing much," Ron replied, trying to act casual. " Just need your help on my homework on Defense Against the Dark Arts and stuff..."

" No," Hermione answered firmly.

" I beg your pardon?"

" No."

" Why, Hermione? I really need your help! The homework is due tomorrow and I didn't even started!"

" I thought you told me you just didn't finish it just right now..."

" Okay, so I lied a little... but I'm sorry, okay? Now, can you please accept to help?"

" No."

" Why?" Ron asked again, desperate.

" Because you always know you can count on me when you have a homework almost late," she replied coldly. " Then, you'll never learn to do it on time, and I'll know it'll be completely _my _fault."

" Yeah... so, what's the problem?"

He immediately regretted his words.

" Let me tell you the problem..." Hermione tried to think of a suitable way to make Ron understand, but after knowing him for about four years, she knew it was practically impossible: she sighed.

" Never mind..."

" So, will you help me on my homework?"

" No, Ron, _no._"

" Please?"

" No."

" Please?"

" No."

" Euh... what's going on here?" Harry asked as he joined in.

" Ron wants me to do his homework for him," Hermione answered, glaring at the orange-haired boy.

" _Hermione!" _Ron cried with pleading eyes. " I mean, I bet Harry didn't start _his _homework either..."

Harry immediately gave Ron a dirty look, and he quieted down.

" Harry, you _did _do your homework, right?" Hermione then questioned him tentatively.

" Euh... I'm almost done: I'm planning to finish it after I ate my dinner," he answered, backing away slightly.

The girl sighed, but said nothing: instead, she muttered:

" At least he _started_..."

When she finished eating, she stood up and almost left immediately. Harry was already long done, but Ron was still talking with Fred and George. When she stepped out of the Great Hall and was about to turn left, she, unfortunately, had to come face-to-face with...

" Hello... Granger."

She froze as she recognized, almost instantly, the cold, drawling voice.

" What do you want with me, Malfoy?" she replied with the same coldness in her voice.

" Oh nothing..." the malicious blong-haired boy smirked at the note of worry in her tone. " Just reminding you that Gryffindor cannot _possibly _win in the next game played with Slytherin."

" And why not?" Hermione hissed.

" Oh... why should I tell you now when you can just find out for yourself when it happens?" he smiled evilly.

And, before the girl could press him for more information, he hastily left. Hermione gave him a furious look, but she didn't follow him: instead, she continued her way to the common room. But while she was walking, she couldn't help thinking that maybe Malfoy _did _mean his word... Should she tell Harry about what happened just right now? But after remembering the worried look on his face, she shook her head. _Why increase his worries? _She wondered. _And besides, that's _exactly _what Malfoy wants... to make us worried... _She really didn't want to think about what just happened earlier, so instead she thought, hopefully.. that Ron wouldn't notice her departure.

No such luck.

" Hermione... _Hermione!_"

" What?"

Annoyed, she turned around and faced whoever who shouted at her. When she realized who it was, she scowled and continued as if _he _wasn't there.

" Hermione, please don't ignore me!" Ron begged as he followed the stubborn girl all the way to the Gryffindor's common room.

" Why should I not?" she replied icily.

" Because... euh... that's a rather good question..."

Hermione's mouth twitched, as if she was going to smile, but instead she sighed and shook her head. She knew what would happen if she took pity on that boy: he would just take advantage of her... _Not like as if he didn't these last four years, _she thought bitterly. Still, she deeply cared for him (A/N: as a friend!), and she really didn't want to see him in this desperate state for long... _I hate making these kinds of decisions, _she pondered, frowning to herself. Hastily, she entered the common room, always ignoring Ron, and took out her almost complete one-and-a-half foot essay given by Professor Snape. Even when she kept her eyes glazed on her homework, she could still sense Ron's keen eyes on her... after thirty minutes, when she was at last done with the essay, she felt unnerved. Hermione was sure that she didn't do the best she can because of Ron's spying eyes on her.

" Okay: I will help you on your stupid homework!" she yelled at him, giving up at last.

" You will? Thanks a bunch, Hermione!" Ron said, immensely satisfied.

Hermione, noticing that, sighed and started sulk.

" I'm tired Ron: can we stop for the day?"

" Hermione! The homework is due tomorrow!"

" I know, but the two-foot long essay you have to do can't be accomplished by fortnight!"

" But..."

" Look, there's a good reason why this essay was given two weeks ago: because it required a lot of research and a great time finishing it!"

Ron opened his mouth to protest, but when he found no reason to counter back to Hermione, he closed his mouth and, this time, _he _was the one who started to sulk. Hermione looked around: almost everybody had gone to bed now, it was already...

" You two _still _working on that essay?"

Both Hermione and Ron turned around to find Harry, looking at them with an unbelieving face.

" You know, it's already past midnight..." he pointed out as he yawned.

" Were you awake this whole time?" Hermione asked.

" Yeah... I had to finish the same homework, but luckily, _I _finished it two hours before midnight..."

" Wow, the time does fly fast when you're concentrating," Ron stated.

" But you know, even with your deep concentration, you still didn't manage to finish the Defense Against The Dark Arts homework..." Hermione drawled.

Ron groaned, infuriated, but luckily, he didn't open his mouth to snap back.

" Harry, what did you do in the last two hours right after you were done?" Hermione then questioned.

Harry hesitated a little. Then he admitted:

" Well... I know it sounds stupid... but I kept rethinking what Malfoy told us earlier today..."

" _You did?" _Ron asked, and when Harry nodded, he laughed. " That's a complete waste of time, mate! I mean..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Harry cut him off.

" I know, usually he's just making us feel worried, but this time..." he stopped to think his words. " His face was deformed by anger, he was sneering... and when he was done, he had this triumphant look on his face..."

Hermione snorted. _Doesn't he always...?_ She wondered. But right after she let that thought wander away, the image of a smirking Malfoy came to haunt her mind. But she still listened as Harry continued.

" And you saw what he did before we left, right Ron?" he then turned to his orange-haired friend.

" Nothing much, I forgot... why?" Ron questioned, still trying to hastily finish his essay.

" He and his Quidditch team then huddled up, as if they were making a plan..." Right after he finished that sentence, he scowled to himself and shook his head. " Maybe I'm just imagining it... because of the usual pressure before the final game..." He yawned. " I think I'll go to bed now: see you in the morning!"

Hermione watched as he climbed towards the boys' dormitory. Beside her, Ron yawned loudly, and it lasted a minute before he closed his mouth and finally declared:

" I'm going to bed too, okay Hermione? See you."

Right after, he followed Harry and soon disappeared. When she made sure both were utterly, she sighed and stood up from her chair. _Time to go to bed like the rest of them... _she thought. _And I hope by tomorrow, Harry won't be so worried: I'm sure Malfoy isn't up to anything... I mean, it's too late, isn't it? The game's coming up in a few days! _She wasn't worried at all when she finally reached the girls' dormitory, but she didn't know if it was the same with Harry...


End file.
